Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC)
By Dan Crump, American River College and CCL Liaison to the ASCCC
A resolution will be presented at the upcoming ASCCC Plenary Session in November about libraries and learning centers (tutoring) and the new proposed standards for the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges (ACCJC). So I thought this might be a good time to provide background on the resolution process of the ASCCC.
The work of the ASCCC is directed by resolutions adopted by delegates to the two Plenary Sessions of the Academic Senate in the Spring and Fall of each year.
These resolutions are developed by the ASCCC Executive Committee, ASCCC Standing Committees, and faculty from colleges throughout the state, and in different venues.
Resolutions are first proposed by the ASCCC Executive Committee and the ASCCC Standing Committees. An example of this is the proposed resolution on the ACCJC standards. Nghiem Thai (librarian at Merritt College) is a member of the ASCCC Accreditation Committee and he, along with others, has been instrumental in developing this resolution. Nghiem, thanks so much for your work on this.
Resolutions from your local senate or individual faculty can also be proposed and submitted to your area representative for discussion at the area meetings held prior to) the Plenary Session.
In addition, resolutions can be submitted at the Plenary Session itself (deadline of Thursday for new resolutions and Friday for amendments and urgent resolutions).
Your area representative, other Executive Committee members, and members of the Resolutions Committee are excellent resources to help you draft a resolution according to the ASCCC's process and standards.
Another great resource is the ASCCC Resolutions Handbook.
Timeline for Resolutions
Here is the timeline for resolutions that will be voted on at the 2022 Fall Plenary Session on Saturday, November 5, 2022:
• September 12 was the deadline for resolutions from the ASCCC Executive Committee and its standing committees, but remember that this is not the final deadline for resolutions to be submitted for consideration at the ASCCC Plenary Session.
• Pre-session Resolutions packet out to the field by October 7, 2022 [note: your local senate president will have this, plus I believe it will be available on the ASCCC website].
• Resolutions can also be submitted at the Area meetings (October 14 and 15), Your local academic senate president (or the ASCCC representative for your area) should be able to provide you with more information about the area meetings.
• Plenary Resolutions packet out to the field by October 20, 2022 [note: again, your local senate president will have this, plus I believe it will be on the ASCCC website].
Resolutions can also be submitted at the Plenary Session itself with a deadline of Thursday for new resolutions and Friday for amendments and urgent resolutions. An “urgent resolution” means the following: A time-critical issue has emerged after the resolution deadline on Thursday and new information is presented on Friday which requires an established ASCCC position before the next plenary session
Library Faculty Involvement in Submitting ASCCC Resolutions
One of the purposes for me writing this article was to let library faculty know of the opportunities to submit resolutions for consideration. And also how to inform the delegates (one from each of the senates, plus the elected Executive Committee members) of issues relating to the library field.
And, IMHO, the "sooner, the better." That is, if you have a proposed resolution, I would suggest asking your local senate president to submit it at the area meetings (October 14 and 15). It just allows Plenary Session delegates (they are the ones who vote on the resolutions on November 5) more time to know about the resolutions and to ask for advice and information from the librarians at their colleges. It is perfectly fine for a resolution to be submitted at Session (deadline of November 3), but, from personal experience, I can say that it is sometimes a little frustrating to see a resolution for the first time just a day or so before voting and scratching my head and wondering "what the heck is this about?" As I said before, the "sooner" (to see the resolution), "the better" for the delegates to be informed on how to vote on the resolution.
I would like to add a little more to an item that was on the CCL listserv: "Faculty librarians should also share their concerns via email or memo to their local Academic Senate president."
This is great advice.
Please contact your local senate president and provide them with the background information on resolutions that you feel have a library connection. A prime example is the resolution I referenced in the beginning of this article about proposed changes to the ACCJC standards. It would be best to contact your president before the middle of October as the proposed resolutions will be discussed at the ASCCC area meetings (October 14 and 15) and debated and voted upon by the delegates (one from each senate) at the ASCCC Plenary Session (November 5).
I hope that I have not confused you or "muddied the waters" for anyone on the topic of resolutions.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me: danieljcrump@gmail.com or crumpd@losrios.edu.
Resolutions Regarding Libraries and Librarians (just a sampling):
Library Advisory Committee (Resolution 9.05, Spring 1988)
Library Budgets (9.04, Spring 1988)
Library Acquisitions (9.02, Spring 1988)
Library Resources and New Course Approval (9.01, Spring 1988)
Library Expenditures (8.05, Fall 1988)
Create a Standing Committee for Counseling and Library Faculty Issues (8.01, Spring 1995)
Adoption of Library Faculty Paper (16.01, Spring 1996)
Information Competency Paper (16.01, Spring 1998)
Information Competency (16.01, Spring 2000)
Inclusion of the Library in Effective Practices for Student Success (16.01, Spring 2008)
Support for Library and Counseling Faculty Participation in Participatory and Professional Development (19.02, Spring 2008)
Adopt the Paper “Standards of Practice for CCC Library Faculty and Programs” (16.01, Fall 2010)
Effective Practices for Providing CCC Library Resources and Services to Online Students (2.02, Spring 2012)
Responding to Draft ACCJC Accreditation Standards as They Relate to Libraries and Learning Support Services (2.05, Fall 2013)
Support of Library Systemwide Integrated System (16.01, Fall 2016)
Inclusion of Information Competency in College Institutional Outcomes (9.04, Fall 2017)
Inclusion of Library Faculty on College Cross-Functional Teams for Guided Pathways and other Student Success Initiatives (17.08, Fall 2017)
Adopt the Paper “Role of Library Faculty in the California Community Colleges (16.01, Spring 2019)
Advocate for Electronic Access to Required Course Materials (16.01, Fall 2021)